Child of Anarchy
by dreamer-girl-reana
Summary: Chibs Telford had no doubts in his mind—life as he knew it was about to change. Drastically. Evelyn had never been someone to follow rules, and with a new life in a dangerous place, he had every reason to worry for her. But of course, she was a Telford, and they always managed to get through. Jax/OC
1. Introduction

_**A/N: **To everyone who's read this before and wondered what happened to the story, I apologize. I completely spaced out when I was writing summaries and forgot that they had to be K rated-obviously the word 'shit' isn't K rated and I just didn't realize I had to change it. So the admins pulled the story and suspended my account for a week. I'll be putting this back up and trying to update soon now that I'm on summer break._

Chibs Telford had no doubts in his mind—life as he knew it was about to change. Drastically.

He sat on the bench a few feet away from where the Greyhound bus he'd been waiting on would arrive. It seemed like he'd been there for hours, but a quick glance at the clock positioned on the wall of the small bus station reminded him he'd only been there 10 minutes or so. The familiar noise of an engine forced his gaze away from the clock and to the approaching bus, watching as it slowed to a stop and let it's few passengers out. Chibs was a few miles outside of Charming, the town too small itself to be of any merit or deserving of a Greyhound stop. Despite the fact that Chibs knew he had no reason to be anxious, he couldn't help the feeling slowly bubbling up in his gut. Eyes locked on the bus, scanning the figures that emerged, he grinned at the final figure. It was a young woman, no more than 22 years old, long black hair falling in waves to her waist, a pair of sunglasses perched carefully on her delicate features. She had a massive duffel bag slung over her shoulders, across her body, and another one in her right hand. For a moment, she took in the surrounding area, the bus slowly departing from the station as she got her bearings. Finally, she turned her gaze towards Chibs, a smile of recognitions slowly spreading across her lips. Making her way over to the bench where he sat, she dropped the bag in her hand onto the ground, "Well, if it isn't Filip Telford, still alive after all these years," she said sarcastically, her words dripping with the familiar sound of someone from home.

"I could say the same damn thing about you, Evelyn. Fuckin' disappearin' for a year without telling anyone where you're goin'," Chibs retorted, not at all surprised to see the smile brighten at his accusation.

"Nah. I just had to have a good adventure before I finished school, and it didn't hurt nobody. I'm still alive, aren't I?" she chimed, Chibs unable to suppress and chuckle at the familiar spitfire attitude.

"Suppose you're right…it's good to see you again Ev, I missed you."

Shifting the bag on her back, she stretched her arms out, pulling him into a hug, "Missed you too. Nice to see that ugly mug of yours again," she teased, Chibs pulling back and glaring at jokingly.

"Face only a sister could love, eh?"

"That it is, Chibs, that it is."


	2. Chapter 1

Chibs was glad that Clay had let him borrow one of the SUV's to pick up Evelyn. The girl had moved to an entirely new country with just two big duffel bags, but it was still way more than he could fit on his bike with her riding along. As they began their drive back to Charming, Chibs couldn't hide the grin on his face as he watched Evelyn staring out the window in awe. He knew she was the adventurous sort-she had up and disappeared for a year to tour Europe before going to University-but he also knew that she'd never seen a landscape quite like the one that surrounded Charming. Scotland, after all, wasn't exactly a dry sort of place.

"Enjoying the scenery?" he questioned, glancing over at her. Evelyn smiled, her face brightening up, and nodded slowly, "Always wanted to see a desert...it's so different from home. I like it, not wet everywhere you go," she said decisively. With that, Chibs had to agree. Scotland was beautiful, but Southern California, with its dramatic dry landscape that was so like the Nevadan desert not too far away, was beautiful in its own right.

"That it is, Ev, that it is."

For a while, they fell into silence. Evelyn was busy committing the scenery outside to memory, Chibs trying to figure out a way to breach the subject of their family without upsetting her. Evelyn, despite the fact that she was his baby sister and would thus always need protecting in his mind, was tough as nails. Though she'd never been a part of the life he led in the states, her time in Scotland had been rough. Their parents hadn't been the best off, and their neighborhood had been shady at best. Ever since he could remember, she'd been beating the crap out of anyone who'd tried to cross her. Nevertheless, she'd loved their parents, and doubtlessly their tragic, and sudden, passing was weighing heavily on her mind.

"You know, I'm not gonna bite your head off for askin'," she said quietly, eyes still transfixed on the landscape. For a moment, Chibs didn't respond, keeping his eyes on the road ahead and still trying to determine if bringing their parents up was a good idea.

"I just didn't want to…upset you," he said cautiously, throwing a glance at his younger sister, who finally dragged her gaze away from the desert.

"Our parents died. Probably gonna be upset about it 'till the day I die. Doesn't mean ya can't ask about 'em," she pointed out, all traces of the smile that had just graced her face now gone. Filip Telford had never been a hugely emotional guy. He'd grown up fast in their crappy little Scottish neighborhood, took care of Evelyn as much as he could, and made anyone who tried to hurt her pay dearly. He could not, however, deny the fact that around her, he might as well be a sniveling little kid again. Sure, he was still the tough SoA badass that he'd become stateside, but he found himself already getting worried about Evelyn's mental and emotional state. Since she was all he had left though, he supposed that it was alright.

"They didn't say anything about me…did they?" he questioned, wondering if they still resented him for leaving the first chance he got. Evelyn shrugged again, pushing some inky black hair from her eyes.

"They mentioned you now and again, would ask if you were doing okay. By the end they'd forgiven you…da even said that he would've done the same thing if he'd been in your position. I'd even dare to say they were proud of you."

"Didn't bother tellin' them that I'd up and joined a biker gang, eh?" he commented, throwing another glance at Evelyn, relieved to see a small smile had appeared on her lips.

"Nah, didn't think they needed to know that. They just needed to know that you were happy and successful, that you'd made roots and friends here; it was enough for them to be happy you'd left, even if they couldn't." Evelyn didn't bother mentioning that they'd known the type of people he hung around with when he'd been in Scotland, and later on in Ireland. They'd assumed that he'd gotten his life together once he moved, and that had been the main source for their happiness over his new situation.

Evelyn's words put Chibs at ease before he'd even managed to realize that he'd been anxious about it. Ever since she'd called him, voice distorted from the stuffed nose caused by her tears, telling him about their parent's death, he'd worried that they had still been angry with him. It wasn't something he wanted to think about, his mom and dad dead and still upset with him for something that had been done so many years ago. The crash that had killed both of their parents in a matter of moments had clearly been rough on Evelyn. She'd never been terribly fond of their extended family, most of them better off than they were and glad to remind them of it, and the death of their mother and father had forced her to work with most of them to plan the funeral. She looked alright, a little jet lagged perhaps, but he couldn't see any signs of silent inner turmoil—at least none that he could recognize. Her eyes seemed calm, back to looking over the landscape, and he couldn't see anything that looked like conflict or masked sadness.

"Your flight was alright?" he questioned, wanting to talk with her alone while they had the chance to.

"It was long as hell, but it was fine. I sat next to a nice lady from Glasgow headed to New York to see her granddaughter get married," she replied, a smile on her face at the memory of the kind old lady, "And then this little shit of a kid who wouldn't stop complaining the entire flight to Nevada. Thought I might just knock him out in the middle of it…stuck up little brat."

Chibs laughed at that, glad to see the familiar, irritable little sister he remembered so well. Sometimes he couldn't believe it had really been as long as it had been. She'd made something of herself, and he hadn't changed a bit, but he was too busy being proud of her to give a shit about the fact that he'd turned out like everyone had expected. At least he'd found a better group in the Sons than he had at home.

"So, fair warning—any of your buddies try to make a pass at me, or something stupid, I _will_ beat them up," she said, grinning at Chibs as he chuckled.

"And fair warning, they'll fight back."

"I'd have it no other way. More fun when they play along," she chimed, grinning as they started laughing together. She'd sorely missed this, just getting to spend time with Chibs, laughing together and chatting. They'd been some of her favorite memories, some of their best conversations, and despite the fact that they had kept in contact it wasn't the same as getting to sit next to him and talk. Evelyn was fairly surprised when she found them pulling into what appeared to be a mechanic shop and gave him a questioning glance.

"Don't worry, Clay owns the place. I just have to grab the keys to your new place before we head over."

Evelyn's eyes widened, green orbs focused on Chibs as he slid quickly from the SUV. Before she could demand to know what the hell he was talking about, however, he was halfway across the yard. Watching as he disappeared into the building, Evelyn huffed, crossing her arms. The last they had talked about her accommodations Chibs had said he had a spare room she could use until she found a place, after she'd insisted that she would have no trouble finding a job and a place to stay. Originally he had suggested one of the other members, whose home was apparently usually empty except for him (and that was only on occasion), but she hadn't felt right about imposing. Chibs had insisted that she was family to the club, since she was his sister, but it was a concept she wasn't used to and had refused the charity. Hairs standing up on the back of her neck, Evelyn bit her lip, well aware that someone was watching her. Forcing her gaze away from the door Chibs had disappeared through, Evelyn glanced around the area, quickly finding the perpetrator. He was young, a little on the skinnier side and a ginger to boot. When she locked eyes with him he was in the middle of getting his companions attention, a tan man with a mostly shaved head and tribal tattoos on either side of the buzzed mohawk. The tan one looked over just as the ginger one looked away, pushing his arm and saying something to him. His friend, however, didn't seem to care what he said, and just grinned, winking at her. Evelyn rolled her eyes, turning her gaze to Chibs as he emerged from the building, twirling a ring with a few keys around his finger.

When he got back into the car, Evelyn glared at him, "I thought I told you I'd get a place of my own," she said, frowning when he just chuckled, "Calm down, Ev. I know you're perfectly capable of taking care of yourself. Just think of it as a welcome to America gift from me and the club."

"The club?" she repeated, frown still intact, "I really don't want to start my time here in debt to your club, Chibs. I appreciate it, and I don't judge you for who you hang out with, but this was supposed to be a new start for me. I love you, but I don't want to get into whatever you're doing here...you can understand that, right?" she questioned, not wanting to offend her brother.

"I know. You're not indebted to them, don't worry. I have every intention of keeping you out of the Sons business; I don't want you making the mistakes I did. Hell, you've got a degree and everything; you can do something to help people. This is just a little something to start you off on your feet here. I promise, it's the one and only thing you'll get from them, okay?"

Sighing, Evelyn nodded, knowing an argument that she couldn't win when she saw one. Though she didn't like the idea of accepting charity (or gifts), particularly when they were from the club, she seemed stuck between a rock and a hard place. It didn't take the two long to get there, and by the looks of things Evelyn was willing to bet she wasn't the only one with bikers in her group that lived there. Stepping out of the car, she looked at the small house, biting her lip. Despite the fact that she was irritated with Chibs for setting this up, she had to admit she liked the house. It looked like a house from a fairy tale, made of brick with ivy covering much of the walls.

"It's lovely…" Evelyn admitted, Chibs grinning triumphantly as he tossed her the keys.

"Take a look inside. Ought to be furnished and crap like that…left it up to Gemma. I'll grab your bags."

A little anxious about someone picking the furniture and decorating for her, Evelyn approached the house, unlocking the door and pushing it open. Stepping inside carefully, just in case of any uneven surfaces the house held that she might miss, she looked around. Letting out a sigh of relief, she turned to see Chibs walking in with her bags, "No reason to worry, right? Gemma's pretty damn good at this stuff."

"That she is. Thank god for women with good taste."

Relieved that the house was decorated simply, but tastefully, Evelyn took one of the duffels from Chibs, and together they started getting her settled into her new life in Charming.


	3. Chapter 2

If there was one thing Evelyn had never condoned, it was bringing along unnecessary baggage—literally and figuratively. She'd packed light despite starting a life in a completely new country, leaving behind the clutter of her old life and the mementos of her family. They were 6 feet under now, and there was no point in bringing along reminders that they were gone. She could remember them and love them for all they'd done for her in her mind; she didn't need endless pictures and mementos to keep them alive in her memories. Chibs had always admired her for that—she did what she had to do in order to move on and keep her head above water, regardless of how it made her feel or what she wanted. Evelyn was a creature based completely on survival, a fact that had gained her a lot of respect as it manifested itself various ways throughout her life.

Chibs leaned in the doorway, watching the petite woman close the final drawer, now filled with what appeared to be jeans. It hadn't taken them more than an hour or two to unpack the two duffels and get her situated. During the process it had occurred to him that perhaps the few items were a bad sign—surely burying whatever she was feeling by getting rid of everything wasn't healthy? It was a thought he quickly forgot, not wanting to open a can of worms if it wasn't necessary.

"You done?" he questioned, Evelyn nodding as she slid the duffels into her closet.

"Yupp. You didn't expect it to take that long, did you? Shit, I only had two bags, Chigs," she teased, grinning as she dropped onto the bed. Her hair had been braided down her back, and she reached her hands back to undo it, not really enjoying the restraint of the hair do. For a moment, Chibs just stood in the doorway, watching his little sister unbraid her hair, before sighing quietly.

"Something on your mind?" she questioned, glancing up as she undid the last of her hair, shaking it out before tossing the hair bands onto her dresser.

"Yea…we actually have plans tonight," he said quietly, rubbing the back of his neck. Evelyn arched an eyebrow, leaning back onto her arms propping her up on the bed.

"What sort of plans? The secret kind you're not going to tell me about?" she questioned, Chibs chuckling and shaking his head.

"Nah, you're allowed to know. Gemma's just putting together a dinner for everyone so you can meet the club. Nothing business, strictly a social thing, I promise. She just figured that since you're my little sister, you'd see the boys or hear names and would want to have met them at least once."

Though Evelyn had made it perfectly clear that she wanted to stay as uninvolved as possible in the sphere of the club, she knew that, realistically, that wouldn't happen. Her brother was in, and by default she was part of their family. Nodding, she stood up, stretching her arms and yawning.

"What time? It isn't formal, right?"

"You've got an hour and a half before we have to leave, and I'm just gonna pretend I didn't hear that last bit," Chibs replied, chuckling as Evelyn rolled her eyes and shooed him from her room. Opening her drawers, she rifled through her jeans for her favorite pair. They were dark, faded in some places and ripped to shreds, showing off more leg than they covered, but she adored them. Exchanging the yoga pants that she'd been wearing around the house for the jeans, she rummaged through her shirts, trying to find something appropriate. Most of her clothes were business casual, but buried beneath those items were relics from her days hanging with Chibs when they were younger in Scotland. Deciding that that her original plan of trying to avoid the club was probably not going to be feasible (they were, after all, Chibs' life) she decided against the pretty blouse that would've dressed up the jeans. Rifling through even more of her clothes, Evelyn finally decided on a silver tank top that was covered in sequins. Tossing the leather biker jacket Chibs had bought for her onto the bed, along with a pair of Louboutin pumps, Evelyn headed into the bathroom. It didn't take her long to do her makeup, and she usually was too lazy to put any on daily, but she supposed that she wanted to look put together. First impressions were crucial, after all. From the bathroom she could hear the TV, and figured Chibs was occupying himself.

By the time the program Chibs had flipped to was over, Evelyn was dressed and ready to go. She exited the room, her brother glancing up at her from the couch and chuckling, "I thought you didn't care what they thought?"

"First impressions are never forgotten. Anyways, they're part of your life—inevitably I'll end up spending time with them here and there. Might as well act pleasant," Evelyn replied, pushing her bangs from her face and heading towards the door.

Glad that his sister had dropped her initial attitude of wanting nothing to do with the Sons, Chibs stood up, flipping the TV off and following Evelyn out of the door. The two got back into the borrowed SUV, driving to the club house where Gemma had set up the little party. Evelyn wasn't somebody who got anxious normally, especially when it came to dealing with people. The people Chibs hung out with, however, were another story entirely. The longer she thought about it, the more she worried that she'd do something unacceptable or say something they wouldn't like. The club was such a huge part of Chibs' life, if not all of it, that she didn't want to ruin her relationship with them. Theirs wasn't the lifestyle she wanted to lead, not at all, but the fear that she would somehow be barred from her brother by making a bad impression started to slowly consume her.

"Calm down, Ev. It's just a party."

Chibs' gruff voice pulled Evelyn quickly out of her spiraling thoughts, and she nodded. Though she had gotten her life turned around and made something of herself, fringe groups were all she had known for much of her life. It always worried her that being introduced to a social situation that would remind her of the good old days would drag her away from the straight lifestyle she'd been living and push her back into the lifestyle of those that lived on the edge of society. After all the work she'd done to get away from that part of her history, the possibility that she was walking right back into the same life she'd left set her a bit on edge.

"I'm serious, Ev. You're sitting all tense and crap…stop it. Nothing's gonna' happen, and everything's gonna' be fine. It's just a party," Chibs repeated, Evelyn nodding and letting out a slow breath.

"Yeah, I know. I just don't want to make a bad impression, that's all."

The siblings fell into silence as Chibs drove to the club house, Evelyn forcing herself to think straight the entire time, Chibs wondering what the hell had happened to his little sister that had put her in such a weird mood. In all the years she'd been alive, he'd never seen her in such an odd mood. Though he tried to ignore it, he couldn't help but wonder if her odd behavior had something to do with the trauma she'd endured with their parents passing. Deciding that, for the time being, it was best to leave her alone, Chibs pulled into the club parking lot without any further comment on her behavior. The bikes lined up along the front of the building told him that everyone was there already, early no doubt thanks to Gemma. Evelyn scanned the bikes after exiting the vehicle, shooting a quick smile at Chibs.

"Well, let's get this thing over with then."


	4. Chapter 3

Heels clicking against pavement, hands stuffed into her back pockets, Evelyn tried to force the last remaining threads of anxiety from her mind as she followed Chibs towards the club. He didn't make any further comments on her demeanor, and hadn't questioned her when she'd insisted he lead the way. She watched, steps hesitating for a moment, as he pushed the door open. The voices of the people inside, all welcoming him happily, helped ease the last of the anxiety away, but Evelyn still approached cautiously.

"Where is she?" said a woman inside, Chibs turning slightly to make sure Evelyn was still behind him.

"Right here, Gemma. Calm down woman," he replied, motioning Evelyn forwards, one foot holding the door open.

Feeling as though she might be walking into a situation she couldn't handle, Evelyn put on a calm face and a pleasant smile, stepping into the Sons of Anarchy's club house. It looked like a biker bar to her upon first glance, and she supposed it functioned as one too. The doors that were closed and locked, however, were a reminder that there were probably a lot more rooms than the big main one where all sorts of business went down. Evelyn scanned the crowd of people quickly, registering faces as fast as she could before an older woman approached her. She couldn't be more than fifty years old, and looked quite good for someone who lived the lifestyle she doubtless did.

"Evelyn, it's lovely to finally meet you. Chibs' been talking everyone's ear off the past two months about you. Nice to have a face to put with the persona," she said, walking up to her and wrapping her arms around her. Without hesitation, Evelyn returned the hug, feeling instantly at ease.

"Hopefully he didn't say anything that made me sound _too_ perfect. Wouldn't want to let everyone down now, would I?"

The older woman pulled away, smiling fondly and nodding, "That you wouldn't. Somehow I think you'll live up to everything he's told us though. Now here, let me introduce you to everyone," she said, waving the men over and leaning in towards Evelyn.

"Over there's Bobby, or Elvis, whichever, Tig, Opie, Piney, Juice and Half Sack," she said, pointing each man out in turn. Each of them smiled, or nodded in recognition, Half Sack smiling and waving slightly when he was introduced.

Tapping her fingers on her thigh, Evelyn turned to the woman and nodded, "Which means you must be the famous Gemma T. Morrow, and that must be Clay…correct?"

Gemma smiled, almost proudly, and nodded, "That would be correct. My son ought to be here…he's probably off doing something stupid," she said, shaking her head and smirking, "Boys."

"Aye, I know what you mean, Gemma," Evelyn replied, shooting Chibs a playful glare.

"Try not to hate on us too much, mama."

Gemma just smirked and shook her head, "That would be my missing son. Jackson, this is Evelyn, Chibs' little sister. Evelyn, this is Jackson,"

Turning around to face the young man in question, Evelyn nodded, "Nice to meet you, Jackson."

"Jax," he corrected, flashing her a grin, "Everyone calls me that."

"Right, _Jax_. At least one of you boys is decent to look at," she teased, earning a round of laughter as Jax arched an eyebrow, chuckling despite himself.

While Evelyn fell into a small round of laughs herself, Gemma glanced between the two younger members in the room, watching as Jax grinned, chuckling along with Evelyn.

"Well, now that the introductions are over," she said, interrupting them, "Evelyn, you just relax and get to know everyone while I finish up on the hors de oeuvres."

"You sure you don't want any help? I'm already intruding on your lives, might as well do something useful," Evelyn questioned, Gemma waving her off.

"Your party, you have fun. I'm sure you'll have plenty of opportunities to help out during your time in Charming."

Evelyn watched as Gemma walked away, Chibs coming up behind her and ruffling her hair, "Welcome to the club little sister," he said with a grin, Evelyn looking around the club again as everyone returned to their conversations. Chibs headed off, striking up a conversation with the prospect as Evelyn turned her attention back to Jax.

"So, you've really never been stateside?" he questioned, Evelyn nodded.

"This would be the first time I've been in the states, yeah," she replied, sliding her hands in her back pocket, "But I like it so far…Charming's different from home, but in a good way. Completely new area, same feeling, new start—couldn't get better."

Jax nodded, eyes roaming over her while she glanced over to Chibs. There were certain aspects of her that reminded him of Chibs and made it apparent that they were related. They had the same nose, the same grin, same quit wit from what he could tell, and the same impossibly dark hair. The one thing that made her stand out, however, were her eyes. Jax was fairly certain he'd never seen eyes that green, that intensely different from everyone else around, and he realized too late that he was staring.

"Impolite to stare, you know," she drawled, her accent yet another reminder of how different she was.

"Like you said…at least one person here is good to look at."

He half expected her to roll her eyes, or laugh at him, but she just nodded, "Look all you want, Teller. So long as you don't touch. Wouldn't want anybody trying to kill you in your sleep," she chimed, winking at him before heading over to her brother across the room. The rest of the night, Evelyn shifted from one group to the next, getting to know all of the Sons a little bit better. It wasn't until Piney called it a night that she realized how late it was. Chibs, who'd been playing pool with Tig, Juice and Half Sac, watched as Jax and his sister chatted.

"Could be dangerous," Tig pointed out, Chibs shrugging.

"She's a smart kid," he replied, "and Jax knows I'd kill him if he tried anything. 'Specially now that he and Tara are...whatever they are."

Finishing up her conversation with Jax, Evelyn made her way over to the pool table, watching them finish their game up and waiting for Chibs to be ready to go. It had been a long day. Between the ride to Charming, setting up the house and the party, Evelyn was fairly sure she'd pass out right then and there.

"Ready to go?" Chibs questioned, Evelyn nodding and barely stifling her yawn. Most of the other Sons had passed out or headed off with their Old Ladies, so the few that were left said their quick goodbyes. When Chibs started heading towards the line of bikes, Evelyn crossed her arms.

"You've got to be kidding me…I thought we were taking the SUV," she said, Chibs chuckling and shaking his head.

"Just borrowed it to pick ya up, 'till ya get your own car you'll just have to come with me."

Evelyn sighed, following Chibs without any further protest, sliding onto the bike behind him and wrapping her arms around his waist in a death grip.

"You get me killed, and so help me god I'll come back and haunt ye for the rest of your life," she muttered, Chibs just chuckling.

"You worry too much, Ev. Just calm down and enjoy the ride."


	5. Chapter 4

A month passed in the blink of an eye for Evelyn. The Scottish girl who'd spent so much of her time in Ireland had adjusted so quickly to live in Charming it was almost strange. Hell, if Chibs hadn't known her as well as he did, he would've suspected that she was only pretending to get along as well as she did. Then again, she had grown up around shadier people than the Sons. Being around the Sons was probably like being around the kids she'd hung around back in Scotland and Ireland, when he was prospecting for SAMBEL or working with the True IRA. True to Evelyn's word, she'd picked up a job within a day. It wasn't exactly glamorous—waiting tables at a diner got her ass more attention than she liked—but she was already on her feet, paying bills and juggling her job and her new biker social ring.

Those big green eyes of hers had weaseled her into just about everybody's hearts within her first few days, and Chibs was fairly certain that even crazy ass Tig would do just about anything for his little sister—a thought that both relieved and scared the shit out of him. Yes, his doe eyed 'innocent' little sister had won over everyone in SAMCRO without even lifting a finger. But, that easy entrance made her the target of less savory attention. They'd all gathered at the club house that night, as they so often did. There was no particular reason, just everybody looking for a good time, good booze and good women. It had quickly become an official, full blown party—mostly because Abel's recent homecoming gave them an excuse to party. Chibs had, of course, extended the invitation to his little sister partially because he wanted her to come and partially because most of the club had demanded she show up. It had turned out that all her time spent around diners, bars and boys had turned her into a bit of a bartender. The last time she'd been over, Half Sack had been scrambling around with drinks. She'd stepped in to help and ended up doing a better job on her own than he'd been doing. Not to mention it gave everyone reason to hit on her while she was tending the bar.

By the time it was quarter to 11, the party had only been going on for a little while and Evelyn had yet to show up. Chibs checked his phone occasionally, half expecting a text or a call telling him that she wouldn't be showing up. When 11 finally rolled around and Chibs had decided to just call the crazy child himself, a familiar head of long, wavy dark hair appeared behind one of the shorter hang-arounds. Heading over, he pulled his younger sister into a tight embrace, "There ye are. The lads were starting to get anxious; thought you'd decided not to come after all," he teased, Evelyn smiling and kissing his cheek.

"No need to worry about that, Chibby," she chimed, leaning over to her left to hang her purse on one of the hooks by the door, "I wouldn't pass up a night with you crazy lads for the world."

The Scotsman couldn't help but chuckle at the modification to his nickname she'd become so fond of over the past week or two. According to Evelyn, it was a way of distinguishing herself. All the boys called him Chibs, and so she would just have to call him Chibby to be distinct. Initially, he had to admit, it had irritated him a little, but the nickname had quickly grown on him. Despite its unoriginality, he kind of liked that she had a nickname that only she called him.

Evelyn surveyed the main area of the clubhouse quickly, taking in all the bikers hanging around and smiling when she found Half Sack, struggling behind the bar to keep all the boys happy and supplied with booze. Giving Chibs another quick kiss on the cheek and ruffling his hair with an affectionate grin, Evelyn excused herself, "Better go save Half Sack before Tig shoots his other nut."

Greeting the boys that she passed by, Evelyn made her way over to the bar. Sliding over the top and landing securely behind the oak fixture, she clapped Half Sack on the shoulder, "Thought I'd come give you a hand. Help preserve what's left of your future children," she teased, the prospect giving her a relieved smile.

"Yeah, thanks. I'll name my first born after you or somethin' like that," he replied, Evelyn grinning as she grabbed some shot glasses.

"I'm holding you to that, prospect!"

The two kicked it into high gear as Happy and some of his Nomad friends entered the bar, Jax chatting with the lead biker as they made their way to the bar. Drying off a couple of shot glasses that she had just finished washing off after Bobby had done a few, Evelyn looked up to see Jax taking a seat nearby, Happy beside him, the two still talking. Cracking open two cold beers, she set one in front of each man, winking with a coy smile before heading down to the other end of the bar to clean some of the glasses that were stacking up on Half Sack's side.

The prospect did his best, and he did a decent job, but multitasking wasn't his strong point. He could really only focus on one or two things before the others started getting pushed to the backburner. Apparently finished with whatever was left of his conversation with Happy, Jax turned his attention to her, holding up his beer with a smile, "Thanks for the brew, doll."

Evelyn gave him a nod and a smile as she exchanged the towel for a rag to wipe down the bar of whatever remnants of peanuts or spills had accumulated on its surface. She made her way towards Jax, who moved his arms to let her clean underneath him.

"Well damn, don't you just do everything. You cook too? Or just clean and tend bar?" he questioned, sarcastic little smirk on his lips.

Tossing the rag into a bucket of disinfectant that they kept behind the bar, Evelyn set her hands on her hips, smirking right back at him, "I do a lot of things, Teller. Guess you'll just have to figure them out, eh?"

The Vice President just grinned, standing up and leaning forward on the bar, "Sounds like a challenge to me, doll face," he said, Evelyn just grinning.

"You take it however you want, Teller," she retorted, winking as she headed back to Half Sacks end of the bar to help him bring some more beers in from the back.

Chuckling, Jax just shook his head, turning around so he could lean back against the bar as he worked on his beer. Tig, who'd been watching from a few spots down, made his way over, dark grin on his lips.

"I'd say that's about as much of a 'come fuck me' invitation as you're gonna get from Chibs' little angel-faced sister. Might want to tap that while it's still fresh…not the only one making goo goo eyes at her, VP."

Though Jax loved Tig like a brother, the way he talked about women could get borderline offensive, or plain old disgusting. Sure, he didn't mind using women freely if they were just crow eaters or some of Luanne's girls, but, as far as he could tell, Evelyn Telford was definitely not that type of girl.

"I don't know, Tig. I say you ought to try first. See if Chibs tries to castrate you for touching his little sister," he retorted, Tig grinning.

"Hey, I don't mind a little rough housing if it means getting some of that sweet—"

"I really hope you boys aren't talkin' about my little sister."

The sudden addition to the conversation caused Jax to turn his head, Tig shutting his mouth pretty damn fast.

"Don't know what you heard, Chibs. We were just talking about one of Luanne's girls…right Jax?" Tig said, Jax just chuckling.

"Yeah, sure Tig. Chibs, I'd keep an eye on that sister of yours. All the boys know she ain't a sweet butt or a crow eater, but that doesn't mean they ain't gonna try to get a piece of her," he warned, Chibs shooting a dark look at Tig.

"Right…I'll keep that in mind…you better keep your hands off her, ye hear?" Chibs replied, Tig holding his hands up.

"All in good fun. I swear, it was just talk," he said, backing off and heading to the other end of the club, winking at Evelyn as she returned with Half Sack and two crates of beer. Confused for a moment, she looked to her brother and Jax, the blonde just chuckling and her brother looking rather unhappy.

"Christ, Chibby, what's the sour look for, eh?" she chimed, pushing her hair from her face as she set the crate down, Half Sack starting to unload the beers into the fridge.

"Nothing, luv. Just don't hang around Tig along, ye hear?"

A slow smile spread its way across Evelyn's lips and she let out a peal of laughter.

"Jesus Chibby, I'm not stupid. That'd be like walking around with a t-shirt that said _Rape Me_; it ain't gonna happen."

"Hey! I heard that!" shouted Tig from across the club, Evelyn smiling innocently.

"It ain't an invitation, boyo, so don't go gettin' any crazy ideas in yer head. I don't think Chibs killing ye would do much for intra-club relationships," she retorted, several of the bikers who'd heard the exchange laughing at their little bickering fest. Chibs shook his head, chuckling despite the fact that he really _would_ have to kill Tig if he laid a hand on his sister.

For the rest of the party, Evelyn took over most of the responsibilities of the bar, Half Sack helping when she needed more beers in the fridge or some glasses washed while she went to take a quick bathroom break. Juice had spent most of the night at the bar, the three of them chatting amicably throughout the evening until he headed off with some crow eater who'd been hanging around him all night. By the time most everyone was passed out or off hooking up, Chibs had disappeared, no doubt with some girl, and Tig had passed out on one of the pool tables with two half naked women. Looking around, a small smile on her lips, Evelyn shook her head.

"Some party, huh?" Jax questioned as he leaned against the bar, lit cigarette hanging from his lips.

Evelyn quirked an eyebrow and shook her head, "Party? I think you're mistaken mister VP. This was just a nice friendly get together…I know my boys can party much harder than this."

At her reply, Jax chuckled, taking a drag of his cigarette as Evelyn yawned before stubbing it out in the nearest ashtray, "You been working all night?" he questioned, the green eyed girl nodding tiredly as she pulled her hair up out of her face and into a ponytail.

"Aye," she replied, grabbing the rag from the bucket nearby and starting to do a final wipe down of the bar.

"Jesus, Ev. It's supposed to be _fun_ you know," he commented, the Scottish woman nodding.

"Aye, I know. It ain't like I'm doin' anything else around here though, so I might as well do something useful, eh?"

Shaking his head, Jax grabbed the rag from her and tossed it behind the bar back into the bucket, "Don't be ridiculous. You've done enough for one evening. Let's get you home so you can get some sleep. Next time, let the prospect do his job, alright?" he said, Evelyn walking around to the other side of the bar, too tired to slide over. Were it earlier, or if she'd had more energy, she would've told Jax to let her finish up. As it stood, however, she was too tired to argue. Going to bed sounded like a mighty fine plan.

"Shit," she muttered, patting her pockets for her car keys, which she had in her jacket, now locked in Chibs' room.

Jax, apparently understanding what was wrong without even looking, motioned her towards the door, "Come on, I'll drive you home."


	6. Chapter 5

The temperature outside had dropped significantly, as it always did once the sun had disappeared from the sky. The scorching days and frigid nights were still something that Evelyn was adjusting to, the young woman still used to the chilly and damp climate of her homeland. Pulling her jacket tighter with a small shudder, she followed behind Jax, who didn't seem to mind the temperature. His bike was second in the long line of Harleys, right next to Clay's, chrome shining evening in the darkness of the night. He grabbed his helmet, turning to hand it to the girl behind him. For a moment, he just stared, and Evelyn felt the slightest heat in her cheeks at the attention. Before she could realize why he was staring, he was shrugging out of his hoodie and cut, handing them over to her.

"Jax, I'm fine. Seriously, just keep your coat, you'll freeze to death," she said, shying away from the outstretched garments. The blonde VP just chuckled and rolled his eyes.

"Don't be ridiculous, Ev. You're still not used to the cold here. I've lived here all my life, I'll be fine."

When Evelyn didn't make any move to accept, Jax just moved forward, wrapping the unzipped hoodie, cut still connected, around her shoulders. Knowing better than to argue with him, Evelyn carefully slipped her arms into the sleeves, zipping the oversized hoodie up and pulling both the cut and the cloth closer to her body. She took the helmet that Jax offered her, putting it on and getting onto the bike behind him. It had been so long since she'd really ridden, that riding around with Chibs had initially freaked her out. The time she'd spent in Charming had, however, quickly destroyed the anxiety and reminded her how much she loved being on a bike.

"Hold tight, doll. Don't want you to fall off and hurt that pretty face of yours," Jax said, a teasing tone to his otherwise serious warning. Wrapping her arms firmly around his waist, trying to ignore the strangeness of being so close to someone that _wasn't_ Chibs, Evelyn nodded into his back.

They took off without further comment, Evelyn massively grateful for the hoodie and cut once they'd started moving. She couldn't imagine how Jax didn't seem to mind the frigid cold (or how he pretended to not mind it), but she supposed that perhaps he'd been telling the truth when he'd claimed he was used to it. Hands interlocked to further ensure she remained on the bike, Evelyn leaned against Jax, face buried in his back. The ride from the club to her house was uneventful and quick, neither of the two bothering to attempt to speak over the roar of the bike. The entire way home, Evelyn tried her best to keep herself from blushing, but the entire situation was odder than she'd initially thought it would be. Every time Jax moved, she could feel the muscles in his body shifting, could hear his breathing and his heartbeat over the thundering noise of the Harley. The extreme proximity was odd, and yet not altogether unpleasant. His body radiated warmth despite the wind and temperature, and there was something oddly comforting about the situation.

When he slowed to a stop in her driveway, Evelyn quickly pushed all the thoughts from her mind, letting go of Jax to slide off the bike. She took the helmet off, handing it back to him and trying to decide if it was weird to invite him in. The manners she'd been instilled with when she was younger told her that he'd just gone out of his way to help her out, and it would be rude not to do something to repay him or show her gratitude. However, the biker girl that knew how things could be taken out of context was wary of the idea. Evelyn knew that Jax and Tara had been sweethearts, and even now it was clear that there was something more than an old friendship between them. Neither of them had quite figured it out, but if Tara was territorial of him (which Evelyn was pretty sure wasn't the case), she didn't want to give the female doctor any reason to give her a hard time. Jax was a friend though, and the manners won out.

"Do you want to come inside? Grab something for the road or something?" she questioned, Jax smirking.

"You do know that I live like, three minutes away, right?" he retorted, Evelyn nodding and pulling the massive hoodie closer to her body.

"Yeah, but I feel like I ought to do something to show my appreciation…you didn't _have_ to take me home."

Jax chuckled, the sound both setting her on edge and making her want to smile, "Ev, it seriously wasn't a problem. I was gonna head out anyways, and you're on the way."

The blonde biker had to admit that Evelyn was a breath of fresh air. She was innocent, which was a rarity, but it wasn't a naïve, blind sort of innocence. The girl had no delusions that the Sons were into illegal things, and the extent to which those things reached, but she'd never been involved. She wasn't tainted by all the shit that went on in their world, but was somehow so seamlessly part of it that Jax had to remind himself sometimes that she wasn't a long standing friend of the club. It was pretty hard to believe that though, what with the way she'd blended in without even trying. Hell, it was pretty clear how much everyone liked her, and how attached she'd gotten to everyone. Chibs' was as proud as a first time parent when their kid learned to walk. It was nice having a new face around though, regardless. Particularly one so nice to look at as Evelyn's—no, he wasn't allowed to start thinking shit like that. He'd just started getting to where he wanted with Tara, patching up whatever weird relationship they'd ended up in. Not to mention if he even so much as breathed on her the wrong way, Jax was fairly sure that Chibs would personally castrate and then kill him.

A quiet yawn escaped from Evelyn's lips, and she started to unzip the hoodie to give back to Jax. He held up a hand, putting his helmet back on and revving the engine, "Keep it, you can give it back to me tomorrow. You look good it in anyways."

Before she had time to process what he'd said, or respond for that matter, Jax was already backed out of the driveway and headed off to his own house. She fidgeted with the zipper for a minute, before zipping the item back up and heading towards the front door. Evelyn had to remind herself that Tara was no doubt at home waiting for Jax with Abel. The stupid little butterflies in her stomach that had erupted at his casual compliment and smile were quickly stifled. Even if the guy _did_ like her, which she was sure was not the case, bikers weren't the type of people who made the best significant others. She'd seen plenty of the guys Chibs had been friends with ruin marriages and not feel bad about it. There was plenty of reason to believe Jax wasn't the same as the rest of them, but there was plenty of reason for Evelyn to steer clear.

Shaking her head, she unlocked the door and stepped inside, flipping the hall light on and locking the front door behind her. She dropped her keys into the bowl by the front door and hung her purse on one of the hooks, before she unzipped Jax's hoodie and shrugged it, and his cut, off her back. Freeing the cut from the hoodie, she folded the leather and set it on the table before hanging up the hoodie, which had _Reaper Crew_ in white printed on the back of the black garment. Only after she'd put both items away did she realize it would be weird giving them back to Jax. Obviously nothing had happened, but it would only give the guys, and Tara, ammunition for later. At the very least, tomorrow she didn't have to work.

Evelyn made a mental note to bring Jax his clothes ASAP the next morning to avoid any weird situations before she headed to the bathroom to get ready for bed. The night, as enjoyable as it was, had been taxing and she was about ready to pass out. By the time she was showered and changed into clothes to sleep in, the temporary moments of awkwardness that night between her and Jax were long forgotten. They were friends, and nothing more. There was no reason they couldn't tease and joke around with one another, or share clothes and rides around town. It was just the same as her bickering with Chibs and Tig…only Jax was much younger and much more attractive than either of them. Evelyn sighed in defeat, deciding that there wasn't any point in trying to force her mind into a new direction, since it seemed quite content to fuss over the possibilities of anything weird coming out from her and Jax's little tryste that night. After she had sat awake in bed almost half an hour, Evelyn reached the same conclusion once more. Nothing had happened, and nothing would happen. Jax was a friend, and she wasn't willing to put herself in a situation where she might lose his friendship. At peace, for the time being at least, the young Scotswoman closed her eyes and headed to sleep, dreams of what the future might be like rocking her into the abyss of her subconscious.


	7. Chapter 6

The next morning, Evelyn woke up earlier than normal. Glad that she didn't have to wear her uniform, she dressed quickly in a pair of tight jeans, a plain t-shirt with a low cut v-neck, and some boots. When she went to grab her jacket, however, she found only Jax's hoodie and cut. She let out a frustrated sigh before she turned around in the hallway and opened the small coat closet, searching for something that would do. It didn't take her long. Thankfully, Chibs had bought her a hoodie almost identical to Jax's. It was plain and black, with reaper crew printed in tiny letters over her heart. The only difference was that hers had a grim reaper set in some sort of shiny black ink behind it. That way it wasn't obvious unless she was standing in the right light. Smile on her face, she put the hoodie on and grabbed Jax's things. Thankfully, the morning wasn't horribly stifling, and the weather was actually almost pleasant.

The walk to Jax's house wasn't a terribly long one—he did live only a few minutes away—but it didn't change the fact that Evelyn's irritation with her brother bubbled up again. If he'd just kept it in his pants a little longer, she would've been able to get her jacket and keys, and the entire weirdness that had happened last night wouldn't have been an issue. When she arrived at the house she'd been searching for, Evelyn knocked quietly on the door, not wanting to wake anybody up if they weren't already awake. She waited for a few minutes, about to leave the items on the porch and head back, when the door swung open. Biting back the initial shock that Tara was the one behind it, Evelyn smiled pleasantly.

"Sorry to stop by so early, but I just wanted to return these to Jax," she said, holding the hoodie and cut out. The suspicion on Tara's face was plain as day, and the woman was clearly not making any effort to hide it.

"He gave me a ride home last night and let me borrow it," Evelyn explained quickly, "I figured he'd want them back ASAP."

"Yeah…" Tara said, taking the items from Evelyn's hand, "Well whatever _actually_ happened, just stay away from him in the future. He's not interested."

The door shut as suddenly as it had opened, leaving Evelyn standing, confused and pissed, on the stoop. Rolling her eyes, she turned on her heel and started walking back towards her house. She understood Tara's desire to protect her relationship with Jax, anyone could. Bikers weren't exactly known for their great abilities to stay monogamous after all, but still, she could've handled that way better. Everyone knew that Evelyn was off limits, unless they wanted to cross Chibs, and everyone knew that Tara and Jax were together again. How stupid did that doctor think Evelyn was, anyways? Evelyn, despite the fact that she wasn't privy to any of the business of the club that didn't concern her, had spent enough time with the group to notice that something was off. Last night's get together was presumably a party, but the longer she'd been there, the more she'd noticed the odd behavior. Something was up and it had _everyone_ twisted up. The familiar rumble of a bike dragged her from her thoughts, however, and she glanced up to see Jax on his bike, driving down the street. He apparently noticed her, and slowed to a stop, pulling over to her side of the road. She noted that he was wearing the hoodie she'd just returned, his cut back in place on his back.

"You walked here?" he questioned, his tone of voice sounding almost irritated. Evelyn wasn't sure what she'd done to deserve such a greeting, but she wasn't about to let him take out his pissy mood on her.

"Morning to you too," she retorted, lips set into a slight frown as she stopped to talk to him.

Jax sighed, running a hand over his face and then through his hair. He looked exhausted, and Evelyn's frown just deepened. What the hell was going on with everyone?

"Listen, I'm sorry Tara acted that way. It's just been a really rough time for everyone," he said, Evelyn shaking her head.

"It's alright…I guess she was within her bounds. Just trying to make sure nobody's getting too close," she said calmly, "What's been going on with everyone anyways?" she questioned.

"I mean, Opie's never around anymore, everyone seems a little off. Hell, even Chibs is acting weirdly. I thought kids coming back were supposed to be a good thing," she said, slightly frustrated that she was being left out of the loop. If it was club business, that was one thing, but whatever was going on was bigger than that. The fact that she was allowed to hang around them all but nobody would tell her anything was more than a little irksome. The look on Jax's face was, initially, just tired sadness, but quickly changed to something that looked almost like he was surprised.

"Wait…nobody's told you?" he questioned, Evelyn arching her eyebrow and crossing her arms over her chest.

"Told me _what_? That you're all going through PMS suddenly? Is Opie in trouble or something?" she questioned, suddenly worried for the biker who she'd thought was so kind, if not a little rough around the edges.

"Shit, Ev," Jax muttered, suddenly looking even more exhausted, the irritation gone from his face and voice, "I didn't realize you didn't know…"

"Didn't know what? What the hell is going on with everyone?"

"Ope's wife, Donna, you met her right?" he questioned, Evelyn nodding in assent.

"She got killed…the night Abel came home. The funeral's tomorrow morning."

The thoughts that had been racing through Evelyn's mind a mile a minute suddenly stopped, her eyes widening as she stared at Jax. Donna, dead? That was impossible. She was such a nice lady when Evelyn had met her at Abel's party. They'd chatted for a good hour before she and Opie had left, and now she was dead?

"I had no idea that you didn't know, Ev…I'm sorry."

Evelyn's head started spinning, the woman trying to process and comprehend such an awful thing that had happened so suddenly. Donna had been innocent, just someone's Old Lady. How the hell had she managed to get in the crossfire? What were they really up to? More importantly, did she _really_ want to know about all the shit that they were doing that had caused her death? Not really…a part of her, the tough kid from Glasgow who'd hung with the worst of them, that girl wanted to know. She wanted to figure out who was responsible and beat the living shit out of them for hurting the club in such a terrible way. Those thoughts, however, were quickly squelched. She'd made it clear multiple times that she didn't want to know, and didn't want to be involved at that level. The longer she stayed, though, the less she thought that was possible.

"Ev?"

The young woman looked up to Jax, frowning, "Yeah…I'm alright," she mumbled, rubbing her eyes.

"Where are you going? I can give you a ride," he offered, the concern on his face not lost on Evelyn.

"Yeah…alright," she muttered, getting onto the bike before she could change her mind.

"You headed to the club?" she questioned, Jax nodding, "That'll work. I need my car anyways…can't keep having you chauffer me around."

Without another word, the two set off in the direction of the club, neither of them talking the entire way there. The ride back was completely different from the ride there the night before. Their silence wasn't a comfortable one, each of them marinating in their own thoughts, their own sorrow over what had happened. When they did arrive, Evelyn slid off without a word, not wanting to discuss the situation or the fact that nobody had bothered telling her until now. Jesus, it'd been three days since Abel's homecoming, and _nobody_ thought to tell her?

"Hey, Evelyn, c'mere."

The dark haired woman paused, turning towards Jax. He set his hands on her shoulders, squeezing them lightly, the earlier sadness well hidden behind his usual calm facial expression.

"You okay? I know you and Donna had hit it off pretty well that night…and you're probably pissed as hell that nobody told you," he commented, Evelyn frowning. She stepped forward, giving him a hug without any reply to his question. Evelyn wasn't exactly impish in her build, but Jax was a good head and a half taller than her, not to mention at least twice her size. He didn't seem to have a problem returning the hug, and for a moment she felt safe, calm even. It was like when Chibs would give her those massive bear hugs he was so good at. He'd done it since she was little, and the contact had always made her feel safe, like nothing could touch her if she was wrapped securely in her big brothers arms. Evelyn let out a quiet sigh, breaking away from Jax with a nod.

"I'll be fine…just startled by the news," she said, Jax looking over her carefully, searching for some tell of hers that she was lying. If she was, he wouldn't have any idea—any tells she'd had that gave her away, she'd worked years ago to get rid of.

"Alright…well, you're welcome to come tomorrow. It's at noon…I think Opie might be glad to see you there," Jax replied, hands in his pockets now as they started to walk towards the club.

"Yeah…I'd like to come…thanks," she replied. Hopefully the funeral would put everyone at ease, help fix whatever tension was going on with everyone in the club. Of course, she couldn't have possibly known that their tension was caused by more than just Donna's death, or that it would've only gotten worse after that. The two were in the club before Jax spoke up again, Evelyn midway to Chibs' room.

"And Evelyn," he began, the woman pausing to look back at him, "if you need anything, just let me know. You're Chibs' little sister, part of our family now."

Evelyn looked at him for a moment, nodding, "Yeah…alright. Thanks, Jax."

She didn't bother saying that the last time someone had said that to her, her brother had almost gotten killed, didn't bother saying that _she_ had almost gotten killed. The Sons didn't need to know any of that shit; it was practically a lifetime ago, and she wasn't keen on letting anybody stateside know about her life before she'd come here. If Jax had noticed her slight hesitance, he didn't say anything about it, just nodded and heading back towards his room at the club.

When she got to Chibs room, she tried the door to find it was locked. Pulling two pins from her hair, she bent down, picking the lock without much trouble—just another skill from her past life. Opening it up, a little louder than necessary perhaps, she wasn't surprised to see some random woman entangled with her rather naked brother. Throwing a nearby blanket over the two, she rolled her eyes when Chibs shot up in bad.

"Christ, Evie. What the fuck are you doin' here?" he muttered, the woman groaning quietly and shifting slightly in her sleep.

Evelyn grabbed her jacket, holding it up for him before pulling the keys out of the pocket, "Just getting my stuff. Figure I'd need my keys for the funeral tomorrow."

Initially, Chibs didn't process what she'd said. But after a second, his eyes widened, "Shit…Ev, who told you?" he questioned, his sister shaking her head at him.

"Jax did," she said, slightly sourly, "Apparently nobody here thinks it's important to let me know when someone I know gets murdered in the streets. Thanks for getting me the memo, Chibs. Excellent job."

Her anger, fairly well masked underneath her calm voice, accent helping to mask it further, was not lost on her brother. He'd known her all her life, and Chibs knew plenty well when she was upset, even if most people wouldn't notice anything amiss.

"Evelyn, I'm sorry. Everything's been so hectic, lass. It slipped my mind…I thought someone would tell ye," he said, the girl shaking her head.

"Just…save it for later Chibby. I need to go take a drive…I'll see you tonight for dinner, my place?" she said, folding her jacket over her arm. He nodded, watching as she left, locking the door on her way out. For a moment, Chibs didn't move, waiting for the familiar noise of a car pulling away from the lot. When he finally heard her leaving, he laid down again, rubbing his face tiredly. There'd been so much shit going on, he'd completely forgotten that Evelyn wasn't around 24/7 and wouldn't have picked up about Donna's death on her own. He sighed tiredly, turning over on his side to get whatever sleep he could before the day started—after all, with all the shit that was happening, it was sure to be one of the last night he'd be able to get a good rest.


	8. Chapter 7

_Geni: Thanks for the review! I know him handing the cut over too is pretty unrealistic. I re-wrote the scene afterwards, so he kept it, but it was just awkward. I'll try fixing that so he just gives her the hoodie because, I agree, he wouldn't give her his cut and let her keep it until morning. Chibs and Tig stories are coming up, thanks for your feedback on that as well (:_

True to his word, Chibs had come over for dinner, thankfully. He and Evelyn had had a long talk over some of her homemade food that tasted so much like home he almost broke down. How long had it been since he'd had a real, home cooked meal? Not American shit, though Gemma was a fabulous cook, but something from home, something that reminded him of simpler, happier times. Jesus, it had been almost a decade and a half since he'd had real food, and longer since he'd had Evelyn's cooking. He'd explained everything that she asked about, deciding that it was pointless to lie. The girl was sharp as a tack, and figured things out one way or another. Even if she didn't spend nearly as much time around the boys, sometimes Chibs thought she picked up on more than he did.

By the time they'd wrapped up everything they'd wanted to get out, for their parents had even come up in the long conversation, it was well into the wee hours of the morning. She'd insisted, like the overprotective sister she could be, that he stay at her house. The funeral was tomorrow anyways, and they could go together. Too tired to argue, and hoping it meant another meal from her, Chibs had agreed. She'd set him up in the guest bedroom he hadn't realized was there when they'd bought the house. He supposed it was a good thing Ev had an extra room, just in case. It had taken a total of two minutes from the time his head hit the pillow for Chibs to pass out, Evelyn already in her own room.

Their discussion had drained whatever energy she'd had that day, and left her tired, but satisfied. It had taking a bit of probing, but he'd clued her into what was going on with the club, more or less. Chibs had avoided naming names, or being too specific—nothing that had the potential to cause her serious harm—but Evelyn had managed to get the gist of everything and what was going on with the boys. It was a foreboding conversation, and Evelyn couldn't help but feel like everything that had been going on had left the club more like a time bomb with no visible timer than a family.

When morning came around, Evelyn's alarm waking her up, she was feeling better rested. However, the vague sense of foreboding from the prior evening had not abated. After a quick shower, the young woman dressed in a fitted plain black dress. She pulled her hair up and put a touch of makeup on, extracting a pair of black heels from her closet and setting them by the front door. Deciding that Chibs would be hungry when he got up, Evelyn set to work making his favorite breakfast—or at least his favorite when he'd lived in Ireland with her and their parents.

Sure enough, the smell of food—eggs, back bacon, link sausage, buttered toast, baked beans and tea brewing—woke Chibs up just before it was all done. The look on his face when he entered the kitchen, still bleary eyed from sleep, was priceless and made Evelyn want to smother him with hugs and kisses. He looked like the younger man who'd left home, always grinning and happy around her, ready to make jokes and tease his little sister. So much had changed since he'd come here…in both of them, she supposed.

"Jesus, Evey…it smells fuckin' amazin'," he mumbled, grabbing the cup of tea she'd offered him before he sat at the table.

"I figured ye must be tired of all this crap American food…needed some good, Scottish breakfast," she replied, piling a plate high with all the food and setting it in front of him. She'd decided on oatmeal, brought from Ireland, and coffee. He didn't comment, just nodded and dug into his food. Apparently his appetite was bigger than Evelyn had remembered, for he ate voraciously, the food gone faster than she thought was possible. She stood, clearing the plates away and putting them into the dishwasher.

"Ye can use my bathroom, take a shower and get ready, and we can swing by your house before we go to the funeral so ye can change," she said, Chibs wrapping his arms around her from behind as he placed a kiss on the top of her head.

"Yer an angel, Evey," he said quietly.

"Ya, I know. Now get! Ye smell like the bar," she teased, Chibs pinching her cheek and disappearing into the bathroom as she finished cleaning up the mess from breakfast.

Thankfully it didn't take him too long to shower, because they made it to the club in the nick of time. Chibs left her to ride with the boys, and all the members of the club. The woman and other friends, those not part of the club, drove in cars at the end of the procession. The ceremony was brief, but heartfelt. Jax, however, was rather conspicuously absent. His absence didn't make any sense, and Evelyn found herself looking around the graveyard every few moments, searching for him, waiting for him to show up. When he did, it didn't set her at ease at all. His entrance and prompt exit was almost disrespectful, hell, it was just plain rude if she was being honest with herself. He dropped a carnation on Donna's casket, gave Clay one good look, and then disappeared without a word.

Evelyn wasn't sure what disturbed her more—the stare down Jax had just had with Clay or the shocking display of disrespect for his best friends' deceased wife. After Jax's display, the funeral was soon finished. Evelyn stayed back as everyone paid Opie their respects, waiting until most of the people had given Ope kind words and condolences. When it was her turn, he looked like he just wanted to crawl into a hole and never come out again. He looked different, his usual beanie gone, his jeans and t-shirt replaced with a button down and slacks and his cut looking oddly out of place with his nice clothes. Evelyn wrapped her arms around him in a firm hug, ignoring the dirty looks some of the people gave her. Opie was her friend, despite the fact that they'd only known one another a month or so.

"I'm sorry Opie," she whispered, pleased when he hugged her back with only a moment of hesitation, "If ye need anything…_anything_, you tell me. I'll do whatever I can to help."

For a moment, he didn't say anything. When she released him from the hug, she saw the slightest hint of tears in his eyes as he nodded.

"Thanks, Ev…I appreciate it."

"Stay strong, Opie. I'll see ye around," she said, giving his hand a quick squeeze before she headed off to find Chibs and the others. Sure enough, he was sitting on his bike, looking glum. Evelyn gave him a kiss on the cheek, setting her hand on his shoulder and giving him a small smile.

"Don't look so glum, big brother;" she said quietly, "things will get better."

Chibs nodded, but the frown stayed in place.

"Shit with Jax and Clay isn't gonna get any better…is it?" she questioned, Chibs sighing and rubbing his eyes tiredly.

"I don't think so…ye seen what they're like…couple of alpha males that can't get over their differences. Shit's just gonna get worse…but ye already know that."

Evelyn shrugged, watching as the crowd slowly dissipated, people going their own ways and heading back to their normal lives. Chibs was right, and he knew it. Evelyn could see that whatever was going on between Clay and Jax, it wasn't going to get better. They were both stubborn 'alpha males' as Chibs had put it, and they weren't going to give. Hell, Evelyn was just hoping one of them didn't end up dead. That would just kill the club, not fix anything. The two obviously had fundamental differences in opinions about the club, and the differences were tearing it apart instead of building it up.

"Maybe one of them'll wise up 'fore they rip the club apart…" she mused, Chibs shrugging.

"Just hope they figure it out soon…people can't bite their tongues forever," he said.

Chibs sighed, retrieving his helmet and strapping it on, clearly ready to be away from the funeral and all the sadness and tension.

"I'll see ye around, Evey," he said, Evelyn nodding and kissing his cheek.

"Stay safe, Chibby. I'll see ye later this week," she replied, her brother nodding as he revved his bike and tore out of the graveyard as fast as he could.

Little did Evelyn know, the next time she would see her brother, he'd be unconscious in a hospital bed.


	9. Chapter 8

It was another three days before Evelyn was set to see her brother again. He'd gotten a little behind on his work at Teller-Morrow Auto Repair, and had insisted that he catch up before they spend more time together. Of course, he blamed her showing up for his distraction—he'd gone from having nobody to worry about but himself, to having to think about what she was up to all the time. Her presence was very distracting…or so he'd claimed. Really, Evelyn thought he was just using her as an excuse to avoid doing the work. Chibs was fairly good with cars…he just didn't really like working on them. He'd always been a bigger biker than a mechanic.

That Tuesday afternoon, Evelyn had gone to work around 7 am, getting there at 7:30 in time to help open the diner up at 8. The breakfast rush had been handled well, as usual, and things had calmed down rather quickly by 9:30 in the morning. It wasn't until around 11:15 that someone came in, and Jax's sudden appearance was more than a little surprising. The boys often ate at the diner when they wanted to talk business and grab some food, but very infrequently did any of them show up on their own. Chibs would, occasionally, just as an excuse to spend a little time with his sister and not have to worry which of the boys was listening. Yet Evelyn had never seen Jax around the diner alone—he always had someone there. Evelyn just attributed it to the fact that he was obviously in a tense place with Clay.

He sat at the bar in front, Evelyn bringing him a cup of coffee, not bothering with a menu. All the guys knew it by heart, and Jax always got the same thing anyways—sunny side up eggs with bacon and hash for breakfast, BLT for lunch, bacon cheeseburger for dinner.

"The usual?" she questioned, Jax shaking his head.

"Nah…just coffee…" he said, Evelyn eyeing him oddly.

"Jax…are yeh alright?" she questioned, suspicious of his odd behavior.

He just nodded, tapping his fingers on the white coffee mug. Evelyn shrugged, and let him be, figuring he just wanted some space. When she returned from her rounds wiping down the tables, however, he was in the exact same spot, none of his coffee gone.

"Jax, seriously, you're—"

"Evelyn…something happened," he said, acting as though he hadn't heard her start to speak to him. The young woman eyed him suspiciously, crossing her arms.

"Oh?" she replied, Jax staring at the coffee. He looked upset, which wasn't exactly a comforting thing to see. Scenarios started running through her head—Teller-Morrow burning down, someone getting killed, cops busting her brother. She supposed that if someone was dead, Jax wouldn't be there talking to her—he'd be getting revenge…which meant that it had to do with Chibs.

Steeling her face, she bit her cheek, looking at him, "What happened to Chibs, Jax?" she questioned, Jax looking up, mildly surprised that she'd assumed it was her brother that was in trouble.

"He was working on a van…but it was rigged…blew up when he was trying to get away," he said slowly, Evelyn's eyes widening for a moment. He watched her jaw tense, fingers balling into fists for a moment as she bit back whatever initial emotional response bubbled up. She didn't ask questions, didn't even prod him for more information. She just disappeared into the kitchen, and reappeared a few minutes later with her jacket and her back.

"Lead the way, Jax."

She didn't have to clarify, Jax knew what she wanted. The two headed out, Evelyn sliding into her car, Jax getting onto his bike. He set off towards St. Tomas, Evelyn remaining on his tail the entire time. Jax could've sworn he'd seen her shoulders shaking with sobs when he'd glanced back once, but a few minutes later she was still. A steely look was plastered onto her face, eyes set straight ahead and face solemn. It occurred to Jax that a look as unhappy and serious as the one she wore now didn't belong on a girl like her. She was lovely, and innocent in her own way. Sure, she associated with bikers—both in Scotland, Ireland and now the States—but as far as anyone knew her hands were clean. Chibs didn't deserve what had happened to him, it was clearly meant for all of SAMCRO, and she didn't deserve to have to deal with the fallout of their issues with Zobelle. Nevertheless, she'd somehow gotten dragged into all their shit, regardless of how hard Chibs and the rest of them tried to keep her out of the crossfire.

It didn't take long for the two to reach St. Thomas. Jax had jumped off his bike as fast as he could and watched as Evelyn got out. Her clenched hands were another reminder that her calm exterior was masking some unpleasant inner turmoil, and she was clearly trying her best to keep her steps slow and even—rushing wouldn't get her anything. The two walked into the hospital, Jax unsurprised to see most of the guys there. When they realized who was tailing him, they stopped talking and stood up. Juice was the first one to go up to Evelyn, giving her a hug and a weak smile.

"He'll be alright…just needs some time," he said, Evelyn nodding. Before Tig could make his way all the way over, she held up a hand.

"Yeh really don't need to do this. I'd just like tah see him…I know it's not yer faults, and that it coulda happened to any one of yehs…"

Jax looked at the guys, all of them glancing at one another, then back to Evelyn. Clearly, they were trying to figure out if her words were sincere. Anyone normal would go right to blaming them, but it was perfectly clear that Evelyn wasn't interested in blame, just seeing her older brother.

"C'mon, I'll show you his room," Jax said, taking the initiative.

Chibs' room was in the critical wing, the rules only allowing immediate family into the room. Jax paused by the door, hands in his pockets.

"Immediate family only…he looks like hell, but the docs say he'll get better…just a matter of time."

Evelyn nodded, resting her hand on his forearm for a moment as she collected herself, "Thanks for telling me, Jax. I appreciate it…"

From the hallway, he watched her step into the small hospital room and stare at her brother. Even Jax had to admit, Chibs looked like death was just around the corner. He was pale, head wrapped in thick bandages to protect the part of his skull they had sutured up. There was an IV in his arm, another line meeting it halfway to his arm to administer drugs and painkillers, and the perpetual beeping of the heart rate monitor was just another unpleasant reminder that he was hurt, and wouldn't be waking up any time soon. The doctors had said that there was a lot of swelling in his brain—his body's way of protecting itself from any other damage. Apparently, whenever someone sustained head trauma, the skull filled with fluid. The fluid's purpose was to cushion the brain, and make sure that if something else happened, it wouldn't get jostled about and damaged. Unfortunately, when someone sustained serious head trauma, like Chibs had, the body produced so much fluid that it often put pressure on the brain instead of protecting it. If it didn't start to go down soon, the doctors said they'd have to remove it physically…and Jax didn't want to think about that.

Jax let out a quiet sigh, rubbing his face tiredly, not really enjoying how shitty everything was getting. First the beef between him and Clay, then the shit with Zobelle, and now this? It just wasn't alright. Looking through the small window in the door, Jax watched Evelyn take a seat beside Chibs, grabbing one of his hands gingerly between hers, fingers stroking the back of his hand carefully. Her lips moved, the young woman speaking to her unconscious brother. And then, without any warning, her shoulders started shaking, tears spilling freely down her face as she dropped her face onto Chibs' lap, sobbing freely. And that, that was the first time that Jax ever say Evelyn Telford cry. It was a sight that he hoped he'd never see again, and it inexplicably made his chest ache.


	10. Chapter 9

Jax had waited around the hospital with the rest of the Sons and hadn't seen Evelyn since she'd gone into Chibs' room. It had almost been two hours, and the VP was beginning to worry about the kid. Surely she hadn't eaten anything, and it was well past lunch time. No sooner had he decided to check on her than she appeared. She looked tired, her eyes red, makeup slightly smudged, clear signs that she'd been crying most of the two hours she'd been in there.

"You okay, kid?" Bobby asked, the woman shrugging.

"Just lost my parents, and now my brothers in a coma…don't know what I am," she replied, "Besides hungry. There any place to get food here?" she questioned, Jax nodding in assent.

"Yeah, I show yah where the cafeteria is," he volunteered, Evelyn nodding.

"Thanks," she muttered, the two heading off. The cafeteria was on the main floor, on the opposite side of the building, but they made pretty decent time. Jax grabbed a table while she got some food that seemed appealing enough. The two sat down, Jax trying to glean some sort of information from her face, but it was frustratingly blank. Besides the signs of crying, there were no emotions displayed. Honestly, she had one of the best poker faces Jax had even seen. Better even than some of the Sons, which was a pretty difficult feat. Maybe the lack of emotion was just numbness, her mind trying to process everything? He'd seen that before, and it would make her a little more human.

"Starin' is rude yeh know," she muttered, poking at the salad in front of her, Jax just shrugging.

"Trying to figure out how you're holding up," he said, Evelyn looking up at him.

They stayed silent for a minute, just looking at one another, Evelyn finally the one to break the silence.

"As well as can be expected I guess…it's so strange seeing him like this. Last time I saw him so broken was…hell, it was right after Jimmy had told him tah leave the country and cut his face up," she mumbled, Jax not missing the tears that started forming before she blinked them back.

"It's just been a tough month for everyone. He'll get better, though. He's a Telford—we're built tough as nails."

At this statement, Jax couldn't help but chuckle quietly, "Yeah, you are. Hell, your parents die and your first thing to do is move to a whole 'nother country, no questions asked about the shit Chibs' involved in, get a job, act like nothing happened. That's pretty ballsy, for _anyone_," he pointed out.

Evelyn just shrugged and took a bite from her salad, "What the hell else was I supposed to do? Sit around and mourn? Wasn't gonna' change anything…yeh ought to understand that. Yeh've lost yer fair share of people," she pointed out, Jax nodding.

"Yeah, but I didn't start over again right after that and then put on a brave face when the last of my family gets blown up."

"Like I said, boyo, I'm a Telford—we're built tough as nails."

"That you are."

The rest of the meal passed silently, Evelyn apparently done talking and Jax unwilling to push her. Shit with Tara had started to get a little tense, along with everything else, and Evelyn seemed to be the only level headed one around. Hell, even Gemma was acting weird—something had _everyone_ on edge. He'd half expected Evelyn to break down, lose face and let everyone know how bad she certainly had to be hurting, but she'd done a damn good job at staying strong. When she finished, the two walked back to the area where the Sons were waiting.

Tara was there, and Jax didn't miss the suspicious half-glare she shot Evelyn's way. The Scotswoman didn't miss it, and stared her down. Of course, Tara looked away when faced with the stony eyed glare that the foreigner shot her.

"That's what I thought," she said coldly, Jax mildly surprised at the tone of her voice. Perhaps this was her response to trauma. He'd only known her to be pleasant and helpful, but the glare and the steel tone of her voice was a clear indicator that she was _not_ in the mood to be fucked with. The possibility of Evelyn deciding she wasn't going to tolerate shit was mildly worrisome. If she was anything like Chibs when he got pissed off, Jax didn't want to be anywhere near her when that happened.

Without another word to anyone, Evelyn headed down the hall to her brothers room. She opened the door and closed it behind her without looking up. It was only when she felt eyes on her that she looked up. The figure standing there was _not_ who she was expecting to see, and immediately the calm she'd been forcing broke.

"What the _fuck_ are yeh doing here you whore?" she snapped, her voice louder than she'd meant it. Evelyn respected Chibs' love for Fiona, but she hated the woman with a passion. How she could just give herself and her fucking daughter over to Jimmy when he decided he wanted them, half to shit on Chibs, was _not_ acceptable to her.

The older woman looked equally as surprised to see her and stood quickly, eyes wide, "Jesus Christ…Evelyn? What the fuck are yeh doing here? Yer supposed to be _dead_," she said, apparently horrified that the only other Telford she knew was still alive.

"We'll discuss yer fuckin' intrusion later. Why the _hell_ does Jimmy want me dead?" Evelyn snapped, Fiona shaking her head, still staring wide-eyed at her. Fiona wasn't afraid of much, and she didn't take shit from anybody—but Evelyn Telford was someone who had always intimidated her, only because she had friends in one too many places, friends who would kill for the doe-eyed girl who played innocent so well. Not to mention the girl was a rabid dog when it came to people threatening her family. Hell, Fiona was surprised she hadn't tried something with Jimmy when her parents had died in that car 'accident'.

"I asked yeh a question, Fiona. I expect that ye'll answer it," she said, her voice suddenly losing the angry flare and turning steely.

"Evelyn…I have no idea—"

"Don't feed me that bullshit, Fiona. Everyone knows Jimmy tells yeh everything."

"I honestly don't know, Evelyn…he doesn't have any reason to want you dead. He settled his beef with your parents…"

Evelyn's fists clenched, her eyes narrowed to slits and focused on the dark woman before her. She had buried all the hurt, the anger and the hatred that she'd gone through when her parents had died. She'd known it wasn't really an accident, understood that someone had to have staged it—Fiona admitting it was Jimmy just gave her more reason to hate the man. First he excommunicated her brother, then he killed her parents and tried to kill her brother? That wasn't acceptable, and all the things she'd buried started to bubble up.

"I'll give yeh three minutes to make yer peace and then get as far from here as possible. If I see yer filthy blood-traitor face again, I'll call in a favor and make sure yeh never see the light of day again. You gave up your rights to Chibs when you picked Jimmy," she said, voice deadly calm, the seriousness of her threat quite clear.

"Yer three minutes started when I came in," she added, Fiona throwing her a dirty look before she knelt by Chibs, talking to him in whispers. Evelyn's eyes remained locked on the two, the clock ticking away the last minute in the corner of her eye.

"Time's up. Now get the hell out," she snapped, Fiona straightening up and giving her a sympathetic look that Evelyn found highly condescending.

"Evelyn Telford…what happened to yeh that made yeh so angry with tha world?" she questioned, "I remember you were a sweet kid, and now—"

"And now yer little man toy has taken _everything_ from me. Or at least tried to. Telford's don't just lie down and die, and if protecting what's left of my family means turning into a monster, so be it. Yeh can leave now, Fiona. It was lovely seeing yeh again."

The older woman didn't bother arguing with Evelyn gave her a curt nod before exiting from the room, Gemma catching sight of her as she left. After Evelyn took a moment to compose herself, she stepped out into the hallway, Gemma giving her a confused look.

"I told her she wasn't welcome here," Evelyn said simply, Gemma studying her for a moment before nodding and dropping it. Most of the boys had dispersed, Jax apparently about to head out before Evelyn caught his attention.

"Could we talk a moment?" she asked, Jax nodding as she motioned for him to come into Chibs' room, despite the fact that he technically wasn't allowed in.

"What was Fiona doing here?" Jax questioned, Evelyn shrugging.

"Who know what that viper was actually doin' here. All I know is she can't be trusted. She's loyal to Jimmy, no matter how much she loves Chibs, and I know he won't think straight where she's involved. If she's here, Jimmy knows, and he knows why as well. I figure yeh're close to Chibby, know that Jimmy being around is a threat, all that sort of thing. Just…keep an eye and ear open? Jimmy bein' here is bad news for all o'us. Particularly since I'm suppose tah be dead."

Jax nodded and squeezed her shoulder, "I'll make sure that the boys keep their eyes open, listen for any hints that he might be here or that he's coming."

Evelyn nodded and gave him a quick hug, "I 'preciate it, Jackie," she said, Jax chuckling.

"You and your brother with that nickname."

The woman just smiled halfheartedly and shrugged, "Must be a Telford thing."

When Jax left, Evelyn had no idea that it would be the last time she saw him before Chibs woke up. Nor could she have foreseen the shit storm that was headed for her and the club.


	11. Chapter 10

The entire time Chibs had spent in the hospital Evelyn had vehemently refused to leave him. Even once he'd woken up, she'd spent just about every waking moment in the room with her older brother. Jax couldn't help but be reminded of a lioness watching out for her cubs, even if Chibs was a good deal older than the girl who would simply not be told to leave. Gemma had brought her a stay-away bag, packed with some of her clothes, some basic toiletries and some books, much to Evelyn's joy. Of all the people affiliated with the Sons of Anarchy, she seemed to be the only one who honestly understood what the girl was feeling. Hell, if it had been Jax or Clay in that bed, she knew that Gemma wouldn't have been bullied out of there either. It was nice knowing that at least one person was on the same page.

Everyone had stopped by at least once after Chibs had woken up, Tara, as a doctor, a more frequent visitor than any of the boys. Evelyn didn't mind, sensing from when they did come and asked for a minute alone with Chibs that they were going through some tough shit. She'd always acquiesced to their requests, taking the time to go grab some food or take a trip to the bathroom to freshen up. From what Chibs had passed on, obviously keeping the nastier bits to himself, there'd been more than a little drama that the Sons had to deal with. The most recent tidbit, in a rather explosive turn of events, had been the burning down of Caracara. Though Evelyn wasn't particularly fond of the pornography industry, or any industry that tended to subjugate or put women in a bad light, she wasn't stupid. It had been the only real, legitimate, legal business the Sons had (aside from the mechanic shop), and it had brought in damn good money. Though there was no love lost between her and the women she'd bumped into occasionally who worked there, the Sons had, at the very least, been working a legitimate angle. However, Chibs had mentioned that there had been some disagreement between Clay and Jax over Caracara—the younger VP considerably more invested in the business than Clay. Hell, from what Chibs had said it sounded like Clay plain old didn't want the place, even if it brought in money they were in desperate need for. Either way, it had clearly added to the tension that was growing between Jax and Clay which wasn't good for anyone, especially the club as a whole. They needed the president and vice president getting along, not trying to take the other down.

As though the incident at Caracara hadn't been enough, she'd heard whispers about Luanne being dead, and more than one rumor that Jimmy O was back in down. Luanne's death was unfortunate, but as Evelyn didn't know her she really couldn't mourn the woman. Jimmy O, however, was another matter entirely. The rumor sent chills up her spine, horrible thoughts coming unbidden to her mind. Jimmy O was a threat that she didn't want to deal with, but with Chibs in a hospital bed with head trauma and the Sons in the shit they happened to be in with the Irish, the threat was even more acute. She didn't really want to think about what would happen if thing went south.

'_Jesus Christ…Evelyn? What the fuck are yeh doing here? Yer supposed to be dead.'_

The memory of Fiona's reaction to her came to the forefront of her mind, but doing nothing to help ease her nerves. She knew why Fiona had been so surprised, and why Jimmy's assumption that she was dead could end up screwing her over. At the last minute her parents had decided to bring her with them on their little weekend trip—a trip that ended in their deaths and some miraculously minor damage to their daughter. The car had been a mess, and Jimmy had obviously just assumed that since her parents had died on impact, that she was dead too. The one time, it seemed, he didn't check his facts and she'd managed to escape alive. Not that she could see any reason for the IRA boss to want her dead. Besides being the daughter of two people he'd ended up on bad terms with and the sister of Chibs Telford, she'd done nothing to piss him off. Hell, she'd gone out of her way to make sure she didn't get affiliated with the wrong people. All that effort had, apparently, been in vain. She'd still ended up on Jimmy's 'disposable' list…though realistically there wasn't anyone that he wasn't willing to dispose of if it suited him and the IRA's goals.

Letting out a quiet sigh, Evelyn adjusted her legs, both stiff from being trapped in the same chair for the past handful of days. She knew that perhaps her insistence to stick around was a little asinine, but if Jimmy really _was_ back, then she wanted to be around to be 100% he wasn't going to get to Chibs. He was the last fragment of her family Evelyn had left, and she'd be damned if anything happened to him because she hadn't been around. The young woman came to the end of the chapter she'd been reading, already done with the first two books of the series that Gemma had brought over for her, and decided that she would go take a walk around the hospital to stretch out her muscles while Chibs napped. Bookmarking her page, she closed the book and set it on her chair before she exited the small room. The young woman didn't make it more than a few steps, however, before a familiar blonde, blue eyed Son came into her path.

"Jax," she said as way of greeting, noting the tension in the vice president's stance, "yeh look tired."

The blonde frowned, a halfhearted chuckle all that he could manage as he nodded in response, "Yeah…shits been crazy. Chibs up?" he questioned, Evelyn shaking her head.

"No, sorry. He's nappin'. Something I can help yeh with?" she questioned, Jax hesitating a moment before shaking his head.

"Nah, doesn't matter," he replied, the woman frowning, one brow arched.

"I've got some time to kill. Have tah work out some o'the kinks in my legs. Walk with me?"

The question was more of a statement than anything else, and Jax didn't put it across the woman to say no. He'd come to talk to Chibs about everything that had happened, about all the shit that was going down in his life, how everything just seemed to be going wrong. The Scotsman had always been there for Jax, acted like a father figure when he and Clay were butting heads and had always sided with him. As the two walked down the hall, Jax couldn't help but wonder if Chibs' sister had the same good-listening trait. He got his answer no more than a few minutes later as they rounded the second corner of the hospital.

"Chibs said things were tense with Clay and yeh," she said calmly, "I know he's upset that he can't be with yeh to help yeh out…but if yeh ever want tah talk, I'm here."

For a minute, Jax considered just passing the offer off. The girl hadn't been there all that long, and while she _was_ Chibs' sister, it didn't necessarily mean that she could be trusted with all his inner struggles and bullshit like that. However, without Chibs around, and too stressed from life, Jax only gave his suspicions a moment of thought.

"I might take you up on that…" he muttered, Evelyn just nodding, apparently a signal for him to go on whenever he was ready.

"It's just...shit with Clay's getting worse. I don't want to have to go down the road he's steering the club down, it's no good for us. And then the shit with Zobelle's only making that worse…and now Chibs in the hospital and Jimmy O h—"

At the mention of Jimmy, Evelyn's features hardened, the vice president pausing when he realized that maybe getting into the Irishman wasn't the best idea.

"Now that Jimmy's here, he'll want tah try and patch shit up after screwing you boyos over, is that right?" she questioned, Jax nodding silently in agreement. The girl knew more than he'd expected, which he attributed to Chibs no doubt blabbing to his little sister. However she'd found out, he didn't bother trying to figure it out. After a particularly nasty fight with Tara, he was ready to go nomad and just leave all this bull behind.

"So what's the real reason yeh decided to talk to me?" she questioned, Jax looking up, half surprised at her comment. Evelyn just smiled and shook her head, "I know there's something bigger for yeh. Yah keep looking off inta the distance, spacin' out…what's really on yer mind? Things rough with Tara?"

How the hell did she glean so much information out of him? Maybe it was really that obvious…or just a good guess. Either way, she'd pinned it. Jax wasn't about to lie to her face, especially when she had a bullshit meter the size of Gemma's.

"Yeah…we had an argument. Pretty nasty one…" he muttered, but Evelyn just arched a brow, clearly aware that an argument wasn't enough to send a Son crying for her brother's consult.

"All this shit…the way the club's going…I can't deal with this shit anymore. I can't change the way we're headed, and if I can't change, then I might as well get out. Decided to go Nomad, go north for a while, just get away from Charming."

Evelyn nodded, silent as they rounded another corner, "Sometimes running seems like the only way out, and maybe it is. I don't know what yer goin' through, but I can appreciate feelin' trapped 'tween a rock and a hard place," she said, looking over to Jax with a sympathetic smile.

"Maybe goin' Nomad would be good for yah, let yeh clear yer head for a bit, get away from the tension and rethink everything," she suggested, "But it could just as easily be the biggest mistake you make. Sometimes running doesn't make things better, even if it's just to get your head straight. I've found that sometimes yeh just gotta buckle down and deal with the tough shit, otherwise people blame yeh for flakin' off."

It occurred to Jax that Evelyn was the first person who hadn't told him what to do all month…hell, all year for all he could remember. He was so used to people telling him what he had to do, or what he should do, that when she'd simply stated the facts, it was surprising. Despite the fact that her advice hadn't really been helpful in showing him one path or the other, it was refreshing in a way to have someone just tell him the decision wasn't going to be easy, but that it was his life.

"Whatever's best for yeh is the best choice. Sometimes yeh just gotta think about yerself. Being a little selfish now and then is good, after all."

By the time the two of them got back to Chibs' room, the older man was wide awake, anxious when his sister didn't come back after a few minutes. Usually Evelyn was right there, or a minute or two away at the most. After a good hour and a half passed with no signs of her, he'd started to assume the worst. When he was starting to think he should call security to find her, however, she entered the room, Jax in tow. The blonde man who'd been so full of angst and anger, who'd violently declared that he was going Nomad, now looked surprisingly calm. Chibs could only assume that Evelyn had spoken with him. Even though the girls' advice was often neither here nor there, and more often than not didn't point in one direction, Chibs had always found that he'd always felt calmer when they'd spoken. She had a way of just making everything seem logical, like there wasn't any dire need to choose. Clearly Jax had learned to appreciate that too.


End file.
